trans_9 | The Final Test

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The Final Test

Eventually, morning came. For those inside the city, it had been a quiet, pleasant night. For those outside...well. At least no one was hurt.

As the sun rose, the sky took on an amazingly beautiful violet hue. As the crew began to awaken, they'd receive a message from Stacy, stating that those intending to attend the meeting with the Moai Elders were to gather near the massive stone stairway that led to the top of the plateau the city of Orongo surrounded.

It was time for the real mission to begin.

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Kang shot his own look at Zetta, rolled his eyes, and sat down, motioning for Karis to join him. This was going to be an interesting meeting.

Rhiow trotted along at their feet, trailing somewhat behind the rest of the group - to all appearances she was silent.

But that's because she was busy carrying on a silent conversation. Can't we leave them back on the ship? They're only going to cause problems. The thought was sent only to the other Council members. You can answer this way - Cargn has assured me that the Moai have no technology able to detect telepathy.

Hoshi came up soon after, doing a formal bow to the Moai priest. Seraphiel was following close behind her and she took her place to sit down, kneeling down.

She was interested to see what exactly would go down in this meeting, to be perfectly honest.

All the talk of traps and poison needles and implied doom hadn't done much to engender a feeling of calm in Jamie, who'd finally started to let his guard down after the marriage ceremony, and he was tense as he entered the main room. He dipped his head nervously to the gathered priests as he knelt on one of the mats around the table, dividing his attention between Alastirra and the room at large, trying to keep an eye out for signs that all hell was about to break loose.

"The Elders will be with you shortly," the priest replied, before they removed themselves from the room.

It took several minutes, but eventually, five rather old looking Moai made their way into the room, taking their place on the other side of the large table from the crew.

Even so, they didn't seem ready to begin immediately. They appeared to be waiting for something.

Or someone, apparently. There was a single space left open at the table.

And soon they were there.

Some of the crew might recognize the old, shuffling figure entering the room as the old Rom fortune teller from last night. She was followed by a rather impressive looking Rom bodyguard (http://l-userpic.livejournal.com/108101702/34531924).

She took her place at the empty seat, nodding to the Moai Elders.

"We are ready to begin, yes?"

"Indeed we are," said one of the Elders, who placed an intricately crafted blueish-wooden box on the table in front of him.

"So," he said to the present crew, "you have come for the Map, yes?"

Especially Zetta and Karis. Kang thought dryly.

"We have," he said out loud, bowing slightly and keeping his voice respectful. He'd made sure to dress formally, wearing his new clothing meant just for Council business.

Nathan glanced toward Kang before nodding in agreement.

"Yes, and we are willing to work with you for anything needed in exchange from us. Could you explain a little more about this Map to us?"

Let us do our very best, regardless of who is with or not with us. Dhianeila's thought came through to the others as she smiled and bowed politely.

"In turn, we as a crew are also willing to thoroughly explain our situation and reasons for being here. As well as our desire to help you and this magnificent planet in any way we can."

"It is an item of great importance, given to us for safe keeping ages ago by the Rom," he said, motioning to the Rom elder present.

He opens the box in front of him, and inside there was a baseball sized white sphere, constructed of some sort of crystal lattice. A soft glow and a quiet hum emanated from it.

"The Map will lead you to the Tapestry."

Faiza had been glad to find that Dane's 'how to sit on the floor while wearing a sword on your hip' lessons actually came in handy. She hadn't been positive that would happen when he'd been teaching her, but at least he'd had a reason.

She leaned forward, looking at the map with no little wonder. "Wow," she murmured, then glanced up and bit her bottom lip. "This may seem a silly question to ask, and I'm sure it's only because I'm new to the crew and there's still so much on Stacy to learn, but what is the Tapestry?"

She figured, being new and not part of Command or the Council, she might get away with the question easier than one of the others.

"And you're just going to give it to us?"

Excuse Karis if she sounds skeptical. These things always have a catch.

Kang bit back a sigh and put a hand on Karis's arm, as a hint to watch her tone.

"The Tapestry is something my kind made eons ago in anticipation of this day," spoke the Rom elder, who had been sitting quietly for the most part.

"Your keepers seek it for another purpose, but the Tapestry shall show you your true path, your true purpose, Thread Walkers."

She then looks over to address Karis' question.

"Your stay here was your final test," she said. "I watched you and your comrades last night. The previous crews your keepers sent had no futures, their Threads cut short. But your Threads shine brightly."

"You will reach the Tapsetry, for the Threads say it so."

Grey eyes watched them, a mind sharpened by all that he'd been through picked apart their words. A captain with a lame leg, old crews had been here before...

Wild blonde hair and a belt full of tools around his waist, a girl with pink hair, machines, machines that talked and looked like animals, Cybil, she was... how did he remember Cybil from before he met Cybil?

It was all so vague he wasn't sure if he'd dreamed it up, but he had to ask.

"The previous crews--were they from the same ship?" came a very probing question from a monk that had been silent through most of this. "Has the Transmigration 9 been to this planet before?"

Setsuna made a small 'hmph' noise. The Rom might have put too much faith in this crew.

"Cargn Thane already confirmed as much shortly upon our arrival," Setsuna pointed out. To him that wasn't a terribly relevant piece of information either way.

He looked over at the Moai and the Rom.

"Our 'Keepers'... what do they ultimately want? What's their goal?" He didn't ask what they wanted with them, since, to turn the Rom phrase, they were all but a few threads in a rather large tapestry. The fact that they weren't the first Trans9 crew here only pointed out that they were disposable to the people who have enslaved them (or, as most of the crew called it, "rescued them"). He just wanted an idea of what pattern was being woven.

He had his suspicions that they wouldn't answer, but it was a question worth asking anyway.

"Your friend speaks the truth," one of the Moai Elders replied. "Your ship has been here several times in a row."

The Rom looked over at Setsuna.

"Their path is nebulous, hidden in shadows," she replied. "Indeed, they seek to fight the Ohm. But beyond that, their goals have yet to be revealed to us."

"All we know is that our ancestors had foreseen this day, and that you would be called upon to follow a greater path, beyond what your keepers have in store for you."

"And the Tapestry is key to this?" It was obvious, sure, but Angie wanted to make sure they were all on the same page.

Including the book and the Corpse Bride.

Anwei had been kneeling quietly, but the word 'keepers' made the fine hairs stand up on the back of her neck. It made her think of the cracking of whips and cold iron on skin.

"How should we use the Map to find the Tapestry - and how will we know it when we find it?"

"Oh, great. We're on a suicide mission," Karis grumped, "Remind me why we don't just tell these Dalli-whatevers to go to hell?"

"Indeed, the Tapestry shall show you the way," the Rom replied. "The Map will reveal itself to the Thread Reader who walks among you."

"Who is the Thread Reader?" Kang asked.

"That would be me," Cargn spoke up finally, making his way around the table.

He stopped behind the head Moai Elder, reaching down to pick up the Map. The crystalline orb began glowing more strongly now, and the hum emanating from it was slightly more audible.

"It is a psychoreactive material. One that requires great power and experience to comprehend. Of the crew currently awake, I am the best qualified to decipher it."

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